Chapter 405: Last Stand (1)
– Frey Starlight’s POV –
This chase was nearing its end.
Standing there, I looked at Danzo, unconscious, while Ghost poured every ounce of his medical knowledge into treating him as best he could.
The deeper he examined Danzo’s body, the more he realized the extent of the damage.
He was injured so severely that Ghost struggled to even locate a single intact part.
Bruises, fractures, and trauma covered every inch of his body. His aura core had been shattered, along with every single pathway that carried it.
Some areas were worse than others .. his legs, in particular, were nearly destroyed.
Ghost had probably already figured it out.
Danzo was paralyzed.
But still alive.
Meanwhile...
I stood motionless, watching it all unfold as if time had slowed.
Every second dragged on, heavier than the one before, as my mind spiraled toward a dead end.
What’s the solution?
What was I supposed to do?
The question echoed relentlessly in my head as I found myself surrounded from every direction.
Save, or kill Danzo.
That phrase repeated in my mind again and again.
In just those few short minutes, I had already gone through dozens of potential outcomes .. desperately trying to find a way out.
But no matter how I twisted it, no matter how many angles I explored...
My mind always brought me back to the same conclusion.
I can’t save him.
I knew it better than anyone—because I understood exactly what a complete Demon Seed truly meant.
Unlike its prototype, the full seed fuses entirely with the host’s body, turning them into a demon.
In other words, it can’t be removed.
The only way to deal with it... is to kill the host.
I knew that.
But I couldn’t bring myself to accept it.
’Why... why in all the hells would they implant something this rare inside Danzo?!’
A surge of fury boiled within me, tangled with pain and disbelief.
Gvardiol.
That bastard did this.
Was this part of his plan from the start?
To place this trap inside one of us? But who even is he? And why Danzo?
Why—of all people—did it have to be him?
I’ve been through so much in this world. Killing strangers isn’t something that fazes me anymore.
But not him...
Quietly, I sat down on the ground, utterly drained.
Muttering the bitter truth under my breath, over and over:
"You’re telling me I have to kill him?"
With these very hands...
Kill the person I went through hell and back to save?
Am I really fated to be chained to this cursed path until the end?
I’ve fought. I’ve struggled. I gave everything.
I didn’t leave a single stone unturned.
I ran like a madman through every possible road, thinking I was choosing my own destiny...
But no.
All this time—I’ve been dancing in the palm of his hand.
In the end, I’ve landed exactly where he wanted me.
From the very beginning... I was never truly free.
Even when I gave up ... when I tried to end it all and die .. he didn’t let me.
No matter what I chose, it always led to their desired outcome.
And now here I am...
Being forced to kill Danzo.
Kill him...
Staring down at his battered face, unconscious and broken...
I just couldn’t accept it.
And yet, I couldn’t find an answer either.
I collapsed, unable to move forward, unable to think.
My mind simply shut down ..overwhelmed by the unscalable wall of fate that had robbed me of every choice.
Powerless, I had no idea what to do anymore.
Drowning in despair.
I was like a fallen star, drifting alone through the vast void of existence... swept away by the current of fate.
"Frey!!"
Ghost’s voice was the only thing that dragged me back to reality.
Looking at him with an empty, blank face...
I saw my friend staring at me in confusion.
"What’s wrong with you?"
"Huh?"
I responded faintly, not even aware of my surroundings. Ghost clearly couldn’t comprehend what I was going through.
"I’ve called your name several times. You just sat there staring into space. Pull yourself together, man."
He had Danzo slung over his back and motioned with his head.
"We’re not out of this yet. We still have to find the others.
Until then .. I need you at your best!"
Despite his usual cold demeanor, Ghost had shown more emotion than ever.
Steadying myself, I rose once more .. fully aware that this wasn’t over yet.
"You’re right... sorry. I just lost it for a moment."
It was far too soon to collapse... or surrender to despair.
There were still others out there I needed to worry about. Besides, the final quest had given me a one-month deadline.
I shouldn’t rush to conclusions or assume the worst.
There had to be a way.
And I’d find it ... no matter the cost.
But before that...
"I’ll carry him. You lead the way to the others."
Taking Danzo from Ghost, I slung my injured friend over my back after equipping the new armor Ghost had given me.
And the moment I lifted him... I realized just how light Danzo had become.
In this state, he was a shadow of the friend I once knew. A miserable, broken shell.
But I didn’t let those thoughts consume me.
Pushing all other emotions aside, I focused solely on survival .. and saving whoever could still be saved.
Until then, nothing else mattered.
"Let’s go."
With the same speed we’d arrived, we dashed out of the cave at full sprint.
Using the witch’s mark, Ghost led the way toward the others .. somewhere amidst the remnants of the battlefield.
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"Damn it..."
Soaring through the air amidst a trail of blazing flame, Phoenix cursed under his breath, holding Seris in his arms.
She had already lost consciousness .. worn out from her battle with Baylor Moonlight, and drained by the raw power she’d unleashed from a body that wasn’t ready for it.
But that wasn’t what made Phoenix curse.
His heightened senses had always been reliable when it came to sensing incoming danger.
And this time was no different.
Although the one-on-one fights had ended... the witch’s game wasn’t over.
The Ultras armies were still closing in .. surrounding them from all sides.
They had gained a little time when Frey Starlight single-handedly held off one of the advancing forces.
But that... was just the vanguard.
Now, the real storm was coming.
An overwhelming number of enemies were marching in fast.
Among them were powerful warriors .. even Hollows who had once faced off against Maekar’s army.
Realizing the scale of the threat heading their way...
Phoenix Sunlight found himself unable to make a decision.
He had always trusted in his strength.
But now, he couldn’t even guarantee the safety of those under his care.
Especially not the girl he held in his arms.
Ever since it was revealed that the red portal was a trap .. they had no way back home.
Suddenly aware of where he was, Phoenix realized he had instinctively returned to the site of the red gate while trying to locate the other students through the witch’s mark.
And without warning, he dove toward the location.
The area was in ruins—a clear sign that a fierce battle had taken place.
But Phoenix couldn’t detect any active marks nearby, which meant the student who’d been here was either gone... or dead.
Descending to the ground, still carrying Seris...
His eyes widened the moment he noticed something.
A chill ran down his spine.
Gently laying Seris on the ground, Phoenix rushed over to the two lifeless bodies nearby.
The first belonged to Adriana ... the shy girl who had traveled with them.
She was lying in a pool of blood, riddled with countless holes across her mangled body.
But Phoenix couldn’t look away from the second figure sprawled beside her.
It was none other than Princess Sansa Valerion.
Dropping to his knees beside her, he stared blankly, unable to process the sight.
Her body had already gone cold.
The blood had clotted and dried. Her skin had turned pale—unnaturally so, as if drained of all color.
Her eyes were still wide open, lifeless and glassy as they stared up at the empty sky.
On her chest...
A gaping, blood-soaked crater marked where she had been struck.
A brutal attack had caved in her torso and obliterated her internal organs.
It was precise—merciless—designed to destroy her heart and everything around it.
With trembling fingers...
Phoenix gently closed her eyes.
His face twisted with pain as he clenched his teeth.
She had died in the worst way imaginable .. right next to Adriana.
Sansa’s condition was so awful... he had barely recognized her at first.
What kind of battle could’ve left her like this?
So pale...
Her once-golden hair now bleached white, tinged with ashen gray...
Then, without warning...
Four more figures suddenly appeared at the scene, brought there by the witch’s mark.
Aegon Valerion’s group had finally arrived .. at the very place where the earlier battles had begun.
Daemon, Dawn, and Selena were with him, each in varying condition.